cms•updates ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUG USE DOWN IN NURSING HOMES WORLDWIDE August 27, 2013 - Nursing homes are using antipsychotics less and instead pursuing more patientcentered treatment for dementia and other behavioral health care, according to new data released on Nursing Home Compare in July by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Unnecessary antipsychotic drug use is a significant challenge in dementia care. CMS data show that in 2010 more than 17 percent of nursing home patients had daily doses exceeding recommended levels. In response to these trends, CMS launched the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in 2012. “This important partnership to improve dementia care in nursing homes is yielding results,” said Dr. Patrick Conway, CMS chief medical officer and director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality. “We will continue to work with clinicians, caregivers, and communities to improve care and eliminate harm for people living with dementia.”
North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vermont. C M S I S S U E S F Y 2 0 1 4 I N PAT I E N T PAY M E N T R U L E August 2, 2013 - the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule updating fiscal year (FY) 2014 Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient stays at general acute care and long-term care hospitals (LTCHs). The rule improves value and quality in hospital care and provides clarification about when a patient should be admitted to the hospital and responds to recent concerns about extended Medicare beneficiary stays in the hospital outpatient department. The final FY 2014 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rule increases overall hospital payments (capital and operating) by $1.2 billion. The rule also moves forward with health care delivery system reforms made possible by the Affordable Care Act. These include a new program aimed at improving safety in hospitals and refining the Hospital Readmissions Reduction program.
The Partnership’s goal is to reduce antipsychotic drug usage by 15 percent by the end of 2013. These new data show that the Partnership’s work is making a difference:
HHS AWARDS $67 MILLION TO N AV I G AT O R S
• The national prevalence of antipsychotic use in long stay nursing home residents has been reduced by 9.1 percent by the first quarter of 2013, compared to the last quarter of 2011. • There are approximately 30,000 fewer nursing home residents on these medications now than if the prevalence had remained at the pre-National Partnership level. • At least 11 states have hit or exceeded a 15 percent target and others are quickly approaching that goal. The states that have met or exceeded the target are: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine,
August 15, 2013 - Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $67 million in grant awards to 105 Navigator grant applicants in Federally-facilitated and State Partnership Marketplaces. These Navigator grantees and their staff will serve as an in-person resource for Americans who want additional assistance in shopping for and enrolling in plans in the Health Insurance Marketplace beginning this fall. Also today, HHS recognized more than 100 national organizations and businesses who have volunteered to help Americans learn about the health care coverage available in the Marketplace. Resource: www.cms.gov
MBJ BY THE MEDICAL MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
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